​A lot has shifted for Ja Morant over the past couple of weeks. The former Memphis Grizzlies star point guard was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers on June 29 in exchange for forwards Kris Murray and Jerami Grant, marking a turning point after he spent his first seven seasons in Memphis. Morant, now 26, spoke publicly about the move for the first time on July 11 while at the summer league, proudly donning his new Blazers gear. “I’m super excited,” Morant said. “Excited to be in Portland, ready to get started there. Definitely grateful for my time in Memphis. That will always be home for me. It’s time to get to work now.” He also noted that the reaction from Memphis was gentle and positive in its own way, calling the experience “tough love” and emphasizing the love he felt from the city. “I love Memphis,” Morant said. “I love the fans, the organizations, my teammates. I feel like everybody I was real connected with obviously reached out after the trade, and they all wished me the best. And it was the same from me.”
The trade had been anticipated by reports dating back to January 9, when it was suggested that the Grizzlies were listening to offers for Morant. Yet the team’s general manager, Zach Kleiman, stated in February 2025 that he did not plan to trade him. Memphis held onto Morant past the February deadline, though he didn’t play another game while dealing with an elbow injury. When Morant spoke to the media in March, he again emphasized his willingness to stay with Memphis. “It’s a business and they decided what they wanted to do for their organization,” he said. “Now it’s my time here in Portland.”
The last couple of years had not been without turmoil. Morant faced suspensions and injuries as he continued to rise to new levels of success in Memphis. In 2023 he received multiple suspensions stemming from social media videos showing him with guns. He appeared in only nine games in the 2023-24 season and 50 in 2024-25. This season also brought further challenges: he was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team after directing comments toward the coaching staff on October 31, and he missed 62 games due to ankle and calf injuries. His most recent appearance came on January 21 against the Atlanta Hawks, before a left elbow UCL sprain sidelined him. For the season, Morant averaged 19.5 points and 28.5 minutes per game.
Addressing those issues and his public image, Morant indicated that the matters had been addressed. “I’ve done what I’ve done in the past, but it’s been addressed and handled already,” he said. “I don’t see why years later that’s still the topic when nothing’s happened since.” Portland represents a clean slate and a fresh start for him. He has also undergone a change in branding: after wearing number 12 and building a personal brand around that numeral, he is switching to No. 1. There had been initial talk about wearing 12 again, but Morant explained that the Blazers have plans for that number—likely a nod to former Blazer All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
“I get to show the fans in Portland a different Ja,” Morant said. “It’s like starting all over again.” The move signals not just a new home, but a new chapter in Morant’s professional narrative, one that invites a reimagined image and a renewed commitment to performing at his best for a fresh franchise.
Damichael Cole, the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal, has more on Morant’s journey and what lies ahead in Portland.